The Cold War saga has come to an end as the largest submarine in history is pastured. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Dmitry DonskoyThe first of the giant Typhoon submarines, and the last still in service, is officially decommissioned.
There are technical feats that break records, and there are technical feats that break records by a tremendous margin. With a displacement of 48,000 tons, the Russian Typhoon-class submarines were not only huge and monstrous by submarine standards, their tonnage approached German battleships of World War II. Bismarck.
A wide, bulky line, 574 feet (175 m) long and 75 feet (23 m) wide, the Typhoon was unmistakable. And since she entered service in 1981, many of the ship’s secrets remained a mystery until the end of the Cold War in her 1990s.Meanwhile, it inspired thrillers red october huntingwhich was made into a film in 1990, filled the gaps in what was known by filling a fictional boat with fantastic technology.
The real Typhoon was born in the 1970s when the Soviet Union responded to the US Navy’s new Ohio-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines. This increases the weapon load of the old Polaris submarines from 16 to 24 and now carries the new Trident II missiles. multiple warheads.
In addition, Soviet naval missile submarines remained hidden under the Arctic ice cap and contained by NATO’s increasingly efficient submarine search forces.
To meet these challenges, the Project 941 Accra submarine, NATO codename Typhoon, was conceived. Its purpose was not to strike the first blow in a nuclear war between East and West, but to serve as a large strategic nuclear stockpile that the Soviets could use in a second strike.
The problem was, this required a boat that could operate under ice thousands of miles from its target and release 200 warheads and decoys on command. (submarine-launched ballistic missile), weighed 84 tons and carried 10 warheads with a maximum explosive power of 200 kt.
These requirements meant a really large submarine, with a lot of strength in its construction. The result was a typhoon. The wide, flat outer casing hides an innovative design. The Typhoon had pressure hulls, not one, but several. There were two parallel hulls on the sides. Above these, and jutting under the huge sails, was her third hull, including Commando’s center, and her fourth hull, the torpedo room, in the bow. In the forward section between the parallel hulls were 20 missile her tubes. These are all securely fastened and we incorporated titanium into the design for added strength.
With two OK-650 pressurized water reactors positioned in the aft section, the Typhoon carried the 160 Complement and spent more than 120 days at sea before having to return to port for supplies and rotate its crew. was able to stay
Despite the number of passengers, the Typhoon was very comfortable, with spacious lounges, wooden plywood and even a pool. However, the sail is so jam-packed with retractable masts and equipment that there is little room for a bridge on the outside.
One of the baffling facts about the Typhoon is that it carried fewer missiles than the Ohio-class submarines. This was because Soviet leaders anticipated restrictions in arms control treaties while the boats were being built and were unwilling to deal with last-minute changes.
It was impressive to see, but it is questionable how effective the typhoon would have been in the event of war. The thin ice of is still very thick. This caused major problems, with reports of the deck being left covered in a huge sheet of ice when the ship surfaced, making it impossible to open the missile hatches.
Perhaps it’s just as good that the Typhoon’s keel included an escape pod.
of Dmitry Donskoy It was the last of six Typhoons built, and a seventh was canceled while still under construction. Also, submarines proved to be very expensive to maintain and repair, so the Russian government concluded that it would be cheaper to simply build new, more modern boats.
So far, three Typhoon-class submarines have been destroyed with U.S. assistance, and two more with U.S. assistance. Dmitry Donskoy await disposition.
” Dmitry Donskoy The submarine cruiser has been retired from the Russian Navy,” said Vladimir Maltsev, head of the Russian Campaign for Naval Support.
Source: TASS
